Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-12-17
RAILROAD RATES.
Oakland Ferry Charges and Certain
Freight Rates.

Freight Rates.
Greed Raymond, attorney for the South
ern Pacific Company, has addressed a COM
munication to the State Board of Railroad
Commissioners in reference to the order re-
Gently made by the Board relative to COM
mutation tickets on the Oakland ferries
which, the railroad claimed, the Board had
not the authority to make, and notified the
Commissioners of an intention to contest
in the Supreme Court. THE company
which l represent" says Mr.. HAMMOND.
" has been charged through the public press
with an attempt 10 delay the consideration
OF the matter upon its merits. while the re-
verse is really the case. The company has
foI years been engaged in the business of
transporting passengers to and from Oak
land and its suburban towns. The service
is double one. The ferry and the trains
necessary for the land carriage are probably
superior to any other service of like kind in
the world. The Communication tickets
formerly issued were grossly abused by
many of the purchasers, and the company
was, to great extent, deprived OF its
local Single-trip rates, out of which its
profits were chiefly derived. The induce
ment to give the Communication rate was the
building up of the city of Oakland and the
adjacent towns. and thereby obtain bust
ness at the regular rates, which are exceed
lngly low. 1t was supposed that the COM
mutation ticket would be purchased and
| used by the head of the family, residing in
Oakland or adjacent towns, and doing bus
ness in San Francisco, while the other
members of the family and visitors, and
people engaged in occupations requiring
more than one trip daily would paw the
| regular rates, which alone would compen-
safe the company for the expenditure in
Cured IN equipping and operating the
| ferry and connecting trains. | think it
| proper to make this statement because
| there has gone abroad the idea that the
company is unreasonable in its action, and
that its motive is to bring on conflict be-
tween your Board and itself | need not
assure the Commission that nothing is fur
ther from the truth"
In second communication Mr., Hav-
mond applies to the Board for suspension
OF the order recently made reducing freight
rates between certain points on the North
ern Division of the Southern Pacific road.
The reduction" he says, would amount
to about 10 per cent of the gross receipts.
| The net profits of the road do not amount
to 10 per cent. of the gross proceeds, and a
general reduction of 10 per cent. would for
for the present year leave, and would for
| several years past have left, the company
without receipts to pay operating expenses
| and the interest on its bonded debt. These
rates are very much lower than those of
| any local road in this State not operated by
| the Southern Pacific, and upon all leading
| articles OF general merchandise are con-
| siderably less than the rates charged
by the Chicago and Northwestern Rail way
to points of greater commercial importance
and which enjoy direct rail competition. l
| wish to call your attention to the fact that
| the rates to and from the points affected
are reasonable and in fair proportion to
| those to and from other stations on the
line, while if you should insist upon the
reductions in question you would throw
those rates out of proportion to other rates,
and to make an unjust discrimination be-
tween points upon the same line of road.
In view of these facts we respectfully re-
| quest your honorable Board to suspend for
a time the order referred to, as we are sat
lsfled that upon reconsideration we can
make such a showing in this matter as will
lead, at least, to its modification, if not its
abrogation. IS. +. Bulletin